As is known in the art, an optical ring network includes a plurality of nodes connected by an optical fiber so as to form a ring that interconnects each of the nodes. Ring networks can include a plurality of fiber rings for network protection. Regional access networks with ring topologies are attractive because they easily recover from a single failure. Also, ring networks allow simple synchronization of geographically distant nodes. Media Access Control (MAC) protocols in ring networks ensure that nodes receive their negotiated bandwidths. A new bandwidth demand is accommodated depending on the available resources and applied MAC protocol. In single-channel ring networks where nodes operate at the aggregate link bit-rate, the admission control is relatively straightforward. For example, in the Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) protocol, the sum of all requested bit-rates should be less than the link bit-rate. In MAC protocols with spatial re-use, the sum of requested bit-rates passing through any link should be less than the link bit-rate.
However, with development of Wavelength Division Multiple Access (WDMA) technology, the total throughput of a packet-switched ring network can be significantly increased. Existing network architectures and protocols may not be able to utilize the enhanced throughput provided by WDMA technology.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide an architecture for a WDMA packet-switched ring network that enhances the data throughput capacity. It would further be desirable to provide a MAC protocol for the novel architecture of the present invention. It would also be desirable to provide an admission algorithm to operate in conjunction with a MAC protocol for a high capacity packet-switched ring network.